realized how pale she was. My mother had never been anything but a pillar of strength, an elitist with a scowl on her face and condemnation on her tongue.
"Of course." I turned and walked to the kitchen, wiping at my eyes and trying to pull myself together. Something was terribly wrong, but I wasn't sure what. Cancer? Did she have cancer and she hadn't said anything? Surely not. What else would cause her hair to fall out?
I poured a quick glass of water and figured I would talk to my grandmother if nothing else. She wasn't exactly fond of me either, but at least we were still talking.
"Do you need anything else?" I handed her the water and had to help her take a drink due to her fingers not gripping the cup. She had little to no strength.
"No. You can go now. Thanks for the help." She closed her eyes and let out a sigh that sounded like death had already settled into her chest.
"Mom. I'm not-"
"I don't need your help. I called you when I did and you didn't come. Get out."
"That's not fair." Tears blurred my vision again. "I'm here now."
"And why are you here, Natasha? Come to watch me die? Is that why you're here? The word finally spread across the school that my tumor was malignant and they can't operate on it? Is everyone throwing a fucking party over it?" Her voice broke as she pulled the blanket up to hide her face. The sobs coming from her ripped my heart open in ways I didn't think possible.
"No, Mom. They're all praying for you. I figured-"
"Well, you figured wrong. Get out!"
I jolted backward at the anger in her voice. I was doing more harm than good standing there upsetting her.
"Call if you need me." I wiped at my tears as my own voice lost all strength.
"I won't. Don't worry."
I nodded and walked for the door, grateful I made it outside before the first sob left me. I couldn't remember being more scared in my entire life. My mother was going to die alone because of the choices I'd made in the past. She wouldn't let me near her.
I wasn't sure if the roles were reversed that I would have acted any different.
Chapter 9
Micah
"What's got your attention today? You're staring off into space like you didn't get a wink of sleep last night. What gives, dude?" Dillon tapped the table in front of me, pulling me from my thoughts.
"What? Oh, sorry man. I slept fine. I'm just worried about Tasha. She was upset last night at the pep rally and she got away before I could check on her." I shrugged and brushed my hand down my shirt as Jacob walked toward our table with a large pizza.
"You guys save some of this shit for me." He set it on the table and smiled. "I put extra pepperonis on it for you guys. Don't tell the old man."
I laughed. "You work here and you can't get lunch? What the hell?"
"I could, but I'm trying to appear grown up." He rolled his shoulders and glanced back toward the kitchen. "Save me a couple of pieces."
"Fuck that. Just get your own." I pushed at his chest and reached for a piece. My stomach screamed in protest as I lifted it to my lips and burnt the hell out of my mouth. I didn't let the pain stop me for a second.
"What? Really?" Jacob turned back toward us and smirked. "All right. I'll get you assholes back for not showing the love."
"You can have some of my half." Dillon gave Jacob a nod and turned back to me.
"Pussy," I mumbled around my pizza and groaned as the delicious flavors rolled over my tongue.
"I love pussy." Dillon leaned back in his seat and fanned the piece of pizza he had sitting on his plate.
"You and me both." Jacob grabbed Dillon's plate and put another piece on it before turning and walking back to the kitchen with it.
"Hey. I need a plate." Dillon huffed and got up to follow Jacob toward the kitchen.
Goofs. All of them. I pulled out my phone and checked it for the hundredth time, for what, I had no clue. I waved Emily over as she moved back from seating an older couple. How she and Jacob got anything done working at DeAngelos together was beyond me.
"Of course." I turned and walked to the kitchen, wiping at my eyes and trying to pull myself together. Something was terribly wrong, but I wasn't sure what. Cancer? Did she have cancer and she hadn't said anything? Surely not. What else would cause her hair to fall out?
I poured a quick glass of water and figured I would talk to my grandmother if nothing else. She wasn't exactly fond of me either, but at least we were still talking.
"Do you need anything else?" I handed her the water and had to help her take a drink due to her fingers not gripping the cup. She had little to no strength.
"No. You can go now. Thanks for the help." She closed her eyes and let out a sigh that sounded like death had already settled into her chest.
"Mom. I'm not-"
"I don't need your help. I called you when I did and you didn't come. Get out."
"That's not fair." Tears blurred my vision again. "I'm here now."
"And why are you here, Natasha? Come to watch me die? Is that why you're here? The word finally spread across the school that my tumor was malignant and they can't operate on it? Is everyone throwing a fucking party over it?" Her voice broke as she pulled the blanket up to hide her face. The sobs coming from her ripped my heart open in ways I didn't think possible.
"No, Mom. They're all praying for you. I figured-"
"Well, you figured wrong. Get out!"
I jolted backward at the anger in her voice. I was doing more harm than good standing there upsetting her.
"Call if you need me." I wiped at my tears as my own voice lost all strength.
"I won't. Don't worry."
I nodded and walked for the door, grateful I made it outside before the first sob left me. I couldn't remember being more scared in my entire life. My mother was going to die alone because of the choices I'd made in the past. She wouldn't let me near her.
I wasn't sure if the roles were reversed that I would have acted any different.
Chapter 9
Micah
"What's got your attention today? You're staring off into space like you didn't get a wink of sleep last night. What gives, dude?" Dillon tapped the table in front of me, pulling me from my thoughts.
"What? Oh, sorry man. I slept fine. I'm just worried about Tasha. She was upset last night at the pep rally and she got away before I could check on her." I shrugged and brushed my hand down my shirt as Jacob walked toward our table with a large pizza.
"You guys save some of this shit for me." He set it on the table and smiled. "I put extra pepperonis on it for you guys. Don't tell the old man."
I laughed. "You work here and you can't get lunch? What the hell?"
"I could, but I'm trying to appear grown up." He rolled his shoulders and glanced back toward the kitchen. "Save me a couple of pieces."
"Fuck that. Just get your own." I pushed at his chest and reached for a piece. My stomach screamed in protest as I lifted it to my lips and burnt the hell out of my mouth. I didn't let the pain stop me for a second.
"What? Really?" Jacob turned back toward us and smirked. "All right. I'll get you assholes back for not showing the love."
"You can have some of my half." Dillon gave Jacob a nod and turned back to me.
"Pussy," I mumbled around my pizza and groaned as the delicious flavors rolled over my tongue.
"I love pussy." Dillon leaned back in his seat and fanned the piece of pizza he had sitting on his plate.
"You and me both." Jacob grabbed Dillon's plate and put another piece on it before turning and walking back to the kitchen with it.
"Hey. I need a plate." Dillon huffed and got up to follow Jacob toward the kitchen.
Goofs. All of them. I pulled out my phone and checked it for the hundredth time, for what, I had no clue. I waved Emily over as she moved back from seating an older couple. How she and Jacob got anything done working at DeAngelos together was beyond me.
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